UA3 Urban birds

Development

The group urban birds includes 14 species that depend largely on human influence. The group contains species found in field margins and city parks, species nesting in buildings as well as species that have benefited the most from supplementary feeding during winter.

On average urban birds have increased by 25% during the past three decades. The increasing trend has been quite steady during the whole monitoring period. Only in recent years the urban bird populations have decreased slightly.

Most of urban birds are either residents or short-distance migrants. On the whole, these species have fared well. The only exception is the House Sparrow, which populations have declined steeply. The reasons for the decline are inadequately known. In farmland habitats the decline is related to the structural change of agriculture, but this does not explain why Common Sparrow has declined also in cities.

The group contains only two long-distance migrants: Common Swift and House Martin. White Wagtail may be considered as a near long-distance migrant since it over-winters in Middle East and North Africa. The populations of these three species have all declined.

Urban indicator birds

Common Phaesant Phasianus colchicus

Stock Dove Columba oenas

Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus

Common Swift Apus apus

House Martin Delichon urbicum

White Wagtail Motacilla alba

Fieldfare Turdus pilaris

Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus

Great Tit Parus major

Magpie Pica pica

JackdawCorvus monedula

Hooded CrowCorvus corone

GreenfichCarduelis chloris

House SparrowPasser domesticus

Urban bird species

After excluding Great and Blue Tit, the urban birds species group could also be called farmland birds. However, these species are found in broader range of habitats than true arable land specialists and they can be commonly found also in cities and other population centres.

The most common species in this group are Fieldfare (1.4 million breeding pairs), Great Tit (1.0 million), White Wagtail (730 000), Blue Tit (500 000) and Greenfinch (340 000).